Antique French Walnut Nightstand w/ Three Drawers

This compact Louis XV style walnut nightstand has been part of Chanteduc, Patricia and Walter's farmhouse in Vaison-la-Romaine, since the day they arrived — it came with the house. Standing on four elegantly curved cabriole legs with a scalloped apron and a low gallery rail along the top edge, it is a fine example of French provincial craftsmanship: well-proportioned, unpretentious and thoroughly itself. Patricia admits, "I have a little love affair with this one." It has sat beside the bed in 'Le Marin' the charming guestroom off the courtyard for years.

Dating from the late nineteenth century, the walnut has deepened over time to a rich, uneven brown, with patches of discolouration and wear that give the surface its beautiful character. Three small drawers, each fitted with a simple turned knob, open and close with ease — a small but telling sign of quality in a piece this age. The lower shelf is missing, but the piece carries its incompleteness without apology.